


Home At Last

by annetheseamaiden



Series: The White Queen | One Shots [4]
Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 07:19:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2100564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annetheseamaiden/pseuds/annetheseamaiden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne, now the Duchess of Gloucester goes back for the first time to Middleham with her husband. In there, she sees how everything has bitter-sweet memories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home At Last

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChelleLeigh1917](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelleLeigh1917/gifts).



 

She knew the road like she knew the palm of her hand. She knew every mark on the tress, and every bump on the road. She was going back, and she could not believe it. She was a woman now, but her eyes were the ones of a little girl. She was laughing now, as their carriage turned to the left, while she asked Richard if he remembered the time where he threw mud at her, ruining her dress.

“Of course I do remember.” Richard laughed, “You were the one who started it all.” 

“I did not.”

“Yes you did!” Richard pointed out, “You pushed me to the puddle and you laughed, and laughed and in revenge instead of a snowball it was a mudball.”

“It was an accident.” Anne said stubbornly.

“Hm . . . accident.” Richard doubted as Anne opened the little window to take fresh air, “Just like I ruined your dress. An accident.”

“So you admit that you ruined my dress?”

“Of course I do. Just like I used to pull your braids.” Richard said pulling her braids.

“You may be my husband now, but I will still scratch you if you pull my hair.”

Richard smirked knowing that she would do it and will not regret it.

Anne had her head now outside the window. She was taking fresh air to breath. She had insisted for him to ride with her, but she was now not paying any kind of attention to him. All she talked about were the hills, and the fresh air, and memories that came to her from her childhood. He did not minded, though. She was happy now. She felt better. She was in a marriage where she was desired. She had spoken to him about her previous marriage, and how she was treated, and the treatment to her was all like the agreement it was. Her late husband bedded her not by force but more like of duty. She had expressed sadness for it, but there was not sadness in her eyes right now.

“Are you excited?” Richard asked her but she did not hear him.

“Duchess?” He asked once again as he scooted over where she had been seating.

“Move over!” Anne said pushing him away.

“I asked if you were excited.” 

“Of course I am.” Anne turned her head to him with a smile, “Of course I am. I am going home . . . Richard–” 

Anne gasped

“What?” He asked with a tone of worry in his voice.

“That’s . . . that’s Middleham.”

Richard place his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him for she to seat on his lap.

“Yes, that it is Middleham indeed.” Richard smiled as he spoke, “That’s Middleham.”

Anne feltlike crying. She was now crying.

“Are you crying?” He asked her feeling and hearing the unsteadiness of her breath.

“No!” Anne said as she shook her head, “I am happy. All I ever wanted was to come back home.”

“We are now!” Richard said, “This is also what I call home too. I came here when I was seven years old. You were three if I am not mistaken.”

“Oh God!” Anne gasped, “I’m home!”

 

* * *

 

Richard noticed that Anne had forgotten protocol. He had to present her to the household as their new mistress, their new Lady, but she had walked through the great doors just after the servant took her cloak, leaving him behind, and to tell the servants everything instead.

“Everything that she wants, and says you will have to obey.” Richard said, “She’s your new mistress now, she is the Royal Duchess of Gloucester. You will treat, obey and serve her as the Queen of England.”

Richard then went after Anne. But he could not find her. He looked in the solar room where she spend the days as a child, but she was not there, nor in what used to be her parents chamber, which now where their chambers.

Anne had walked to her chamber. She was no more than fourteen years old when she left that chamber for the last time. Everything was left in place. Her vanity mirror had a linen over it, protecting it from the dust, just like it was when she last saw it the last time.

All now she could think of was that her Father was no longer alive. He may have been the Kingmaker, but at times, the Earl of Warwick will come to her bed, and awake her saying that the sun needed a flower to rest his beauty on. Then she thought of her Mother. She abandoned her. She was now taking her place as Mistress of the castle. She was now the lady of the castle, her mother was not it any longer. 

She walked forward to the mirror, and pulled the linen down. She coughed, but was shocked upon the reflection. Last time that she saw her reflection on the looking glass in front of her she was a girl; now she was a woman, a married one.

Richard had caught up with her and he saw her looking at her things. She was opening the empty jewellery chests, and now she was touching her old ivory comb that had the Neville Crest carved into it.

He gave her the privacy that she deserved by not saying a word, but he still stood by her side.

“It is weird to think that I left the comb.” Anne said, “I thought that there was no need to take it.”

“Now you can have it back.” Richard said.

“It is weird to be in my chambers again.”

“These are not your chambers.” He pointed out, “These were your chambers, but they are not anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Anne asked.

“You are the Lady of the castle, Anne. These are not your chambers.”

Anne now realized for the first time what he was trying to say. She looked up to him and shook her head. 

“I cannot.” Anne said, “My Mother and Father, they –”

“You are the Duchess of Gloucester now, you have to have a chamber that fits your rank.” Richard said as he took the gloves from her old table, “When we have a daughter, these will be her chambers.”

“A daughter?” Anne asked, “You want to have a daughter?”

Most men only wanted sons. He wanted a daughter.

“Of course. Little headdresses and little silk gowns. Tiny slippers. I love girls. They always belong to Papa. Have you not seen little Bess with Edward?”

“I would love to have a daughter.” Anne said.

“Then why we don’t go to our room instead?” Richard asked as he kissed the top of her head.

Anne followed him, but when they entered her parent’s old rooms all she wanted to do was to cry.

“It is okay.” Richard said as he guided her to the bed, “I know that you are tired.”

He started to unlace her dress, and then pushed it down and when it pooled in her feet, he kneeled when she sat, and took off her slippers.

“I am not sad.” Anne clarified to Richard, “I am grateful.”

“I know you are, sweetheart.”

“My parents . . . they are not here. Mother is in Beaulieu . . . Papa is dead.”

“Why don’t we go to sleep then?” Richard asked her, “Leave the love making for another day?”

“Perhaps in the morning?” Anne asked her.

“Yes,” Richard smiled, “Perhaps in the morning. Now, do you want to take a bath with me? The water is cold here, we could keep each other warm.”

“I would very like to do that.” Anne smiled at him, making Richard sigh.

“You are not sad.”

“No I am not.” Anne answered, “I am just happy to be back at home, with the bitter and sweet memories that it also brings.”

“We are going to make our own bitter and sweet memories now.”

Something had gotten into her, but she pulled Richard up to the bed only to kiss him passionatly, pulling his hair without knowing.

“Two things that I have noted. Why do you get to pull my hair?” He asked.

“Because I like your hair, and I do not pull it,” Anne laughed, “I pull it with love.”

Richard smiled at her now as his lips travelled to her sternum.

“What?” Anne asked.

“When were you planning to tell me that you are with child?” He asked her as he touched her belly though her shift.

“How do you know?” Anne gasped, now laughing.

“We h ave spent our two months of marriage mostly naked in bed. You are warmer,  and your belly is swollen, so are your breasts.”

“I wanted to be sure.” Anne whispered, “I did not wished to make you happy only to find out that I was mistaken, and then you’ll become angry.”

“That will never anger me.” Richard said, “It couldn’t. There would be times when you will think that you are with child and you will be not. Trust me, love, that will never anger me.”

Anne smiled as she now felt closer at home. 

“Now,” Richard said as he stood up, “let’s get to the bath. I want to hold you naked in my arms.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by ChelleLeigh1917  
> Hope you liked it.  
> Comment and let me know what you think!


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